Chapter 68 The Last Minutes
?Isabella — POV
The timer kept ticking.
5:01
5:00
Every second sounded louder than the last.
Like a hammer striking inside my skull.
Alexander still hadn’t moved away from me.
Not even an inch.
He stood so close that I could feel his breath against my face, his hands still gently holding my cheeks as if letting go might somehow make the moment real.
I was crying so hard my vision blurred.
“Alexander… please.”
My voice broke.
“You need to go.”
His answer came immediately.
“No.”
The word was quiet.
But absolute.
I shook my head desperately.
“You can still make it.”
His eyes softened.
“Not without you.”
The timer changed again.
4:38
4:37
“Alexander,” I whispered.
My chest felt like it was collapsing under the weight of everything.
“You can’t die here.”
His thumb brushed away the tears streaming down my cheeks.
“There’s no life for me without you,” he said again.
The way he said it made my heart break all over again.
Because he meant it.
Every word.
I swallowed hard.
“You’re stubborn,” I said weakly through tears.
His mouth twitched faintly.
“You’re just realizing that?”
A small broken laugh escaped me.
The moment felt surreal.
We were standing in the middle of a warehouse with a bomb strapped to my chest…
And somehow we were still talking like two people who had all the time in the world.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
“For everything I said.”
“You had every right,” he replied quietly.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I didn’t understand.”
My throat tightened.
“I was angry… and hurt… and confused.”
Alexander’s expression softened.
“You were grieving,” he said gently.
“That’s not something anyone does perfectly.”
The timer continued counting down.
4:05
4:04
My eyes fell to the vest.
The wires.
The blinking red light.
My stomach twisted violently.
I looked back at him.
“You should have left,” I whispered.
“I told you to go.”
Alexander leaned forward slightly until our foreheads touched again.
“I told you,” he murmured.
“There’s no world where I leave you behind.”
My tears came faster.
“I don’t want you to die because of me.”
He shook his head slowly.
“If this is how it ends…”
His voice softened.
“…then at least I’m with you.”
The words shattered something inside me.
I leaned forward as much as the ropes allowed and wrapped my arms awkwardly around him.
He pulled me against him instantly.
His arms wrapped around me like he was trying to shield me from the entire world.
“I love you,” he whispered against my hair.
“I love you so much.”
His voice trembled.
I felt his chest rising and falling unevenly against me, his breath warm near my ear as his fingers tightened around my back like he was afraid to let go.
Then he pulled back just enough to look at me.
His eyes were full of tears.
“I need you to know something,” he said softly.
His hand came up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his fingers trembling slightly.
“You were the best thing that ever happened to me.”
My throat tightened instantly.
Alexander swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice.
“I’ve lived a long life in a very dark world,” he continued quietly. “I’ve seen things most people shouldn’t have to see. I’ve done things I can’t take back.”
His gaze softened as he looked at me.
“But the time I had with you…”
His voice cracked.
“…was the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Tears rolled down his face freely now.
“And I’m grateful for it,” he whispered.
“So grateful.”
The timer continued ticking beside us.
But he didn’t even look at it.
He was only looking at me.
“When this thing goes off in a few minutes…” he said quietly, glancing briefly at the vest before returning his eyes to mine, “don’t be scared.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“Close your eyes,” he murmured.
“Think about the good moments we had together.”
His thumb brushed gently across my cheek, wiping away my tears.
“The mornings when you woke up and looked at me like I was the luckiest man alive.”
A sad smile touched his lips.
“The way you laughed when you teased me for being overprotective.”
His voice lowered.
“The first time you said my name like you trusted me.”
My tears fell faster.
“And the moment you just told me you loved me.”
His forehead rested gently against mine.
“I’ll hold onto that moment forever.”
His shoulders shook slightly.
“And when this is over…”
His voice softened into a whisper.
“I’ll see you in the next life.”
My heart shattered.
“Our souls will meet again,” he said quietly.
“I believe that.”
His fingers tightened around my hands.
“And if there is another world after this one…”
A tear slid down his cheek.
“…I’ll spend the rest of eternity loving you there too.”
His voice broke completely now.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry I failed you.”
He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry for every mistake I made.”
When he opened his eyes again, they were full of pain.
“But loving you…”
His hand gently cupped my face again.
“…was the only thing in my life I ever did right.”
My chest ached so badly it felt impossible to breathe.
“I love you,” he said again.
“Forever.”
His forehead pressed against mine once more.
“And beyond this life.”
“And beyond this life.”
Alexander’s forehead rested against mine.
His tears fell freely now, sliding down his cheeks and onto my skin.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
The warehouse was silent except for the quiet ticking coming from the vest strapped to my chest.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Each second felt louder than the last.
I didn’t want to look at the timer.
I didn’t want to see how little time we had left.
Instead, I looked at him.
At the man who had changed my life.
The man I loved.
My hands trembled as I lifted them as far as the ropes allowed and cupped his face.
His skin was warm under my fingers.
“Alexander…”
My voice broke.
“You didn’t fail me.”
He shook his head immediately.
“I did.”
“No,” I whispered.
My thumb brushed away the tear that had fallen down his cheek.
“You saved me.”
His eyes searched mine.
“I’m the reason you’re here,” he said hoarsely.
“No,” I said softly.
“I’m here because I chose to be with you.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“And if I had to choose again…”
My voice trembled.
“…I would still choose you.”
Alexander closed his eyes briefly like the words physically hurt him.
When he opened them again, they were full of emotion.
“You deserve so much better than me.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
My voice was firm despite the tears.
“I deserve the man who stood in front of me tonight and refused to leave.”
His jaw tightened.
“You deserve the man who stayed.”
The timer blinked beside us.
Alexander glanced at it briefly.
Then immediately looked back at me.
Like the clock didn’t matter anymore.
Like nothing mattered except this moment.
“I wish we had more time,” he whispered.
My throat tightened.
“Me too.”
A small, sad smile appeared on his lips.
“We should have taken that trip you wanted.”
I laughed weakly through my tears.
“You said you were too busy.”
“I was an idiot.”
“Yes,” I sniffled.
He huffed softly.
“See? Even now you’re still honest with me.”
My chest ached.
“Someone has to keep you humble.”
The timer blinked again.
Alexander’s hand slid behind my neck, pulling me closer.
He kissed my forehead gently.
Then my temple.
Then my cheek.
Every kiss slow.
Careful.
Like he was memorizing me.
“I’m not afraid,” he whispered.
My voice trembled.
“I am.”
He shook his head slightly.
“You won’t be alone.”
His arms tightened around me.
“I’m right here.”
I buried my face against his shoulder, breathing him in.
His scent.
The warmth of his body wrapped around mine.
Everything that had come to feel like home.
“I wish we had grown old together,” I whispered.
Alexander’s arms tightened around me, pulling me even closer as if he could somehow protect me from time itself.
“I would have liked that,” he said quietly.
My chest ached.
“I wanted a house,” I admitted softly.
“With a big garden.”
A faint laugh escaped him.
“You hate gardening.”
“I know,” I said weakly. “But I liked the idea of it.”
His hand moved slowly through my hair, his touch gentle and steady despite the seconds slipping away.
“I would’ve hired twenty gardeners,” he murmured.
A broken laugh slipped out of me.
“I know you would.”
The timer blinked beside us, cold and merciless.
Alexander slowly pulled back just enough to look at me.
His eyes moved across my face like he was memorizing every detail—every line, every tear, every breath.
His thumb brushed softly across my lips.
Then he leaned forward and kissed me.
Slow.
Deep.
Not desperate.
Not rushed.
Just full of everything we had never had enough time to say.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested gently against mine.
“I’ll find you again,” he whispered.
“In the next life.”
My eyes closed as fresh tears slid down my cheeks.
“And I’ll fall in love with you again,” I breathed.
The timer blinked again.
Alexander pulled me into his arms one more time, holding me tightly against him like he could shield me from what was coming.
“I love you,” he whispered into my hair.
“I love you too,” I breathed.
And we held each other.
Waiting.
The timer continued its relentless countdown.
Then—
A sudden metal crash exploded through the warehouse.
The heavy door behind us burst open with a violent bang.
Alexander spun around instantly, his entire body going rigid.
Every muscle in him tensed.
Several men rushed inside.
Weapons drawn.
Moving fast.
For a split second my heart stopped.
I thought Moretti had come back.
But then I saw him.
James.
He stormed into the warehouse like a hurricane, a team of men flooding in behind him.
“MOVE!” he barked.
His guys rushed forward immediately.
Two of them dropped to their knees in front of me, already pulling tools from their belts as they began working on the vest strapped to my chest.
Alexander stared at James like he’d just seen a ghost.
James glanced up briefly.
“What?”
He shook his head as his men worked quickly through the wires.
“What did you honestly think?” he snapped.
His eyes flashed toward Alexander.
“That I’d just sit back and let you walk into a damn death trap alone?”
Alexander still looked stunned.
“You think I was going to stay home while my best friend got himself blown up?”
One of the men working on the vest spoke quickly.
“Two minutes thirty seconds.”
Alexander ran a hand through his hair, still trying to process what was happening.
James looked back at him.
“You’re welcome, by the way.”
Alexander let out a breath that sounded like pure relief.
The man working on the vest spoke again.
“Two minutes.”
My heart started racing all over again.
James crouched beside them.
“Status?”
“Pressure trigger connected to the timer,” one of the men said quickly while examining the wires. “Moretti built a clever one.”
James muttered under his breath.
“Of course he did.”
Alexander stepped closer to me again, his hand finding mine instantly.
“You’re going to be okay,” he said quietly.
His voice sounded calmer now, but his grip on my hand was still tight.
I nodded weakly, my heart still pounding.
James glanced up at Alexander briefly.
“You owe me a drink after this,” he said.
Alexander let out a shaky breath.
“I owe you anything you ask for.”
James smirked.
“In that case… I want your first kid named after me.”
Alexander almost laughed.
Then James turned back to the bomb.
“Cut the blue wire first.”
The timer blinked again.
1:34
1:33